Chars Development Research Centre (CDRC) Signs MoU Pumpkin Plus Agro Innovation Limited

Entrepreneurial ecosystems
22.09.2022
Pumpkin Plus Agro Innovation Limited, and Chars Development Research Centre (CDRC) of Rural Development Academy (RDA)- Bagura held a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony on September 18, 2022, at Rural Development Academy (RDA), Bagura. Mr. Khalil Ahmed, Director General (Additional Secretary), RDA, Dr. Abdullah Al Mamun, ADG,RDA, Dr. Abdul Majid Pramanik,  Joint Secretary, RDA & PD-M4C; Mr. Nazmul Islam Chowdhury, Innovator & Founding Director, Pumpkin Plus Agro Innovation Limited including RDA Faculty members were among the honourable guests.

Earlier in 2021 M4C partnered with Pumpkin Plus to scale up the business model of this enterprise. Through the newly signed agreement, M4C will ensure the financial inclusion of Pumpkin Plus farmers by bringing them under the CDRC Enterprise Development Loan initiative. This will act as an exit strategy for M4C while emphasising the cooperation between Pumpkin Plus and CDRC to encourage and ensure access to finance through revolving loans for the beneficiaries (Farmers Group & Entrepreneurs). This collaboration will also enable access to mobile storage for char farmers on a need basis. CDRC will establish linkage with forward market traders for Pumpkin Plus Farmers. Training & knowledge dissemination on sandbar cultivation technique and exposure visits to disseminate hands-on knowledge over riverbed cultivation technology are major areas of exploration which falls under this joint effort. With the assistance of CDRC, Pumpkin Plus will work in 6 (six) districts– Gaibandha, Lalmonirhaat, Rangpur, Jamalpur, Kurigram, and Shariatpur.

 

Char Development Research Centre (CDRC), a specialised centre of Rural Development Academy, Bagura, the prime anchoring partner of M4C, is dedicated to improving the livelihoods of the char dwellers, to institutionalise information, knowledge, and lessons of M4C; this is to create awareness and mobilise initiatives and investments from the public and private sector, beyond the project period. Being a new generation agribusiness company Pumpkin Plus has the motto of transforming life and land in the char region. The newly initiated collaboration will accelerate the progress activities implemented by M4C in northern char regions.

 

M4C is a project mandated by the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh and the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives implemented by Swisscontact and Rural Development Academy, Bagura.

 

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Bangladesh
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
Making Markets Work for the Jamuna, Padma and Teesta Chars (M4C)
To reduce vulnerability and increase wellbeing of vulnerable and marginalised char dwellers living in the northern char region of Bangladesh. Chars are riverine land, susceptible to erosion and soil deposition, which remain disconnected from mainland either seasonally or throughout the year. Due to this unique geographical positioning,...